What a princess feels : A Dune fanfiction
by Diamond77
Summary: A Irulan Fanfiction: set at Chpt 1 of Children of Dune. Amazing fights and cliffhangers. Take a look!
1. Default Chapter

Below is an Irulan Dune story. My first piece of fan fiction.  
  
"What a princess feels" Chapter 1  
  
The temperature was rising on Dune. Irulan felt her sweat begin to rise beneath the golden silk dress she wore. As a good Bene Gesseritt she could focus her mind past any discomfort she faced.  
  
Except the pain in her own heart.  
  
It was disturbing to say the least. She did not imagine her need for Muad'dib to be so great.  
  
Paul Atriedes. Her husband.  
  
Well, husband in name actually. She thought ruefully. In the two years they had been together, he had yet to show her the slightest warmth or kindness. However, she counted her blessings. Paul was far from cruel. He at least acknowledged her talents, and had made her part of his inner council. He made no major decisions without her, as so the rumors went.  
  
"I still remember our first meeting during that dinner at the Arrakeen Palace". Irulan realized suddenly. She envisioned him in his white coats of arms. The picture of royalty. He had been frank, amusing, with a sly sense of humor. The magnetism between them was palpitable. She had wanted to give herself to him. To fold herself into his arms. It was nothing she had ever experienced before.  
  
She knew she was in love.  
  
And now, two years later. It was all ash.  
  
She was now an honored figurehead trapped in a field where the players had yet to trust her.  
  
Paul, Stilgar, Alia and Chani...  
  
Chani. Muad'dibs true wife. Irulan tried not to be bitter about her. The fremen woman was a good person. However she could not but help feeling resentful. It was all beyond her control.  
  
He was mine. She thought. She quickly admonished herself however. Such thoughts are not worthy of an imperial princess. I love Paul and I will strive to be worthy of his trust. It is a matter of morals. Irulan sighed and proceeded to her quarters where her books lay.  
  
Her books. Her only solace now.  
  
To be continued. 


	2. A chance meeting

Irulan was just about to leave when she heard someone approaching.  
  
The footsteps seemed familiar... She tensed herself, shifting herself into combat readiness.  
  
Chani...  
  
The Royal Concubine appeared. A true Fremen, her lethal form concealed a razor mind with battle instincts. She seemed troubled and withdrawn.  
  
Something was wrong.  
  
"Can I help you Chani", Irulan asked quietly.  
  
Chani raised her head and gave Irulan a grim smile.  
  
She barely avoided the strike as it was. The strength of the blow was incredible , it would have crushed her sternum if connected. Chani followed the punch, with a whistling side kick.  
  
Irulan was a Bene Gesserit. She had trained to be one in any case. Her rudimentary training in Prana-Bindu reflexes kicked in, enabling her body to move faster than a normal human being. Her arms flexed in a cross, Irulan absorbed the side kick just in time. The impact smashed through her defenses, stumbling her to the keep wall. Chani followed up her attack with a dizzying barrage of blows.  
  
This was not good.  
  
The first rule of combat was to maintain mobility. The hallmark of any good fighter was his ability to create empty space. Giving himself options to maneuver. Irulan was hemmed in. She desperately tried to weave a matrix of defense, but it was getting difficult. The Fremen woman was stronger, younger and more experienced in the art of combat.  
  
Irulan grimaced as the impact of a body shot thundered through her. "I can't hold out much longer." She thought. Irulan considered her options.  
  
Chani was a deadly fighter. Her combat style was battletested, precise and built for speed. Irulan knew she could not defeat her straight up. Fortunately, her Bene Gesserit style was unique. Drawn from the Other Memory of female fighters throughout history, her style consisted tricks unknown to Fremen culture. It was only this that had kept her alive so far.  
  
A palmed strike brought her back to the present. It missed her by inches, forcing Irulan to perform an ancient silat maneuver. Uncertain, Chani backed away, considering her strategy.  
  
There was only one way out. Voice. "Enough" she shouted. Flexing her syllables to impact Chani's nervous functions. Her Bene Gesserit training in this field was indeed extensive. Her voice would paralyze the Fremen for a short moment.  
  
She was shocked to see Chani shrug off the effect. Letting the Voice pass through her. A Bene Gesserit trick. "Muad'Dib must have taught her to resist Voice" Irulan realized. Quickly calculating, Irulan launched a leg sweep dropping Chani.  
  
That was the opening she needed. To flee.  
  
Ditching her high heeled shoes, Irulan hurled herself down the hallway, knowing Chani would be on her in seconds. "At least I've got a head start". Irulan thought.  
  
But for how long?  
  
To be continued. 


	3. The balance of opposites

The balance of opposites. Chapter 3  
  
Irulan flexed herself down the halfway. Bobbing and weaving. She could sense Chani a few steps behind her.  
  
It would not be long now.  
  
Seeing an empty hallway, she hurled herself into its utter darkness. This would even the odds, she thought.  
  
If she could not see anything, so would her opponent.  
  
She willed herself to be completely still. Timing was crucial in this case. "Let your opponent come to you, Use his strengths against him" was a common Bene Gesserit mantra. One that was particularly appropriate at this time.  
  
Irulan closed her eyes, centering herself. She extended her senses, experiencing the surroundings around her. Looking beyond physical sight.  
  
"Chani will be here soon. What will I do?" Irulan thought.  
  
A slight sound revealed Chani's arrival. Into a world of darkness.  
  
Both women knew that the first to reveal herself was the loser. Relinquishing her life in the process.  
  
Irulan had gone through this exercise before. Night Training. A rudimentary Bene Geserrit exercise to heighten her senses. The centre of the room was the key. It was a vital point of defense and a predictable site for attack.  
  
"Chani would most likely work her way to the centre, and launch a search grid from there" Irulan thought. She lowered her centre of gravity and extended her senses.  
  
Darkness was Pitch black. Nothing could be seen. Where could Chani be? Behind her?  
  
"Do not fall for a faint" thought Irulan. "Be cautious". She carefully began to inch herself to the side of the room, careful not to rustle her dress as she did so. Suddenly, out of a corner of her eye, she saw a slight flash of clothing. "She is trying to outflank me" realized Irulan. "Well too can play at that game."  
  
Irulan reached into her dress for a fine needle pen. Careful not to expose it's reflected surface. She then got ready to hurl it into the right side of the hall. The trap would be set.  
  
Irulan was about to throw, when the blow knocked her from behind.  
  
To be continued. 


	4. First Conflict

First Conflict- Chapter 4  
  
Disclaimer: Hi there, I would appreciate if you readers could tell me how my storytelling skills are. This story is my first attempt at fan fiction.  
  
The blow struck Irulan from behind. It staggered her sending rivulets of pain down her shoulder. She had been blindsided.  
  
This was the situation. Irulan was in a panic. Her shoulder was completely numbed with Chani closing in for the kill from behind. Things were not looking good.  
  
The impact of the blow sprawled Irulan forward. The momentum was incredible sending her in a dizzying spell. It all happened in a split second.  
  
A true Bene Gesserit, Irulan took advantage of the situation. Instead of trying to break her fall, she hurled herself forward using Chani's blow as a propellant.  
  
"An object in motion will remain in motion" was an Ancient Earth Law. However it did not state in what direction.  
  
"If I can propel myself to the door quickly, I can catch Chani off guard" Irulan thought. The Fremen woman would expect her to flee. Instead she would use the door support to deliver an unexpected spinning side kick.  
  
It was a sound plan. But It didn't work.  
  
Irulan found herself slamming into a solid table. She cursed in a quite un-princess like manner. Tumbling into a heap. She saw the dark silhouette of Chani rushing up before her. Struggling to rise herself up, she felt a twin strike blows into her kidneys.  
  
The pain was excruciating. Her world in agony, she gasped for breath feverishly trying to steady herself.  
  
It did not work.  
  
Fortunately for her however, her destiny was not yet finished. It was not over.  
  
Irulan awoke later to see....  
  
To be continued 


	5. RevealationsThe End

Revelations- Chapter 5  
  
Struck down by Chani, Irulan awoke in a haze to see...  
  
Paul "Muad'dib" Atriedes. Her husband. Standing before her.  
  
Chani was standing behind him. She looked at Irulan silently.  
  
Paul bent down to lift her up asking "Are you all right?"  
  
Irulan stared at him in amazement "Isn't it a little late to be solicitous of my health?".  
  
"It was a test." said Paul Atriedes. "Nothing you couldn't handle."  
  
"She could have killed me!" stated Irulan flatly, pointing at Chani.  
  
"No she wouldn't. She was under strict orders not to do so." replied Paul.  
  
He glanced softly at Chani "Beloved, please give us for a second".  
  
A true Fremen, Chani gave a slight nod and left.  
  
"Why did you do it?" Paul asked when they were alone. "The contraceptive I mean."  
  
"Didn't Chani tell you?" laughed Irulan. "She gave me a little visit last night. Threatened me even. That Crysknife of hers was quite amazing."  
  
"She told me" said Paul. "However I wish to know the true reason."  
  
Irulan experienced a rush of emotions. She had wanted to declare her feelings to Paul for so long. This was her moment. To show her love. Even when she knew it was hopeless.  
  
"I...I was bitter, angry." She lowered her head. "I love you, Paul." Irulan stammered. "Even from the first moment we met. I felt a connection. That something could have become special. Maybe even love."  
  
Irulan raised her head abruptly, "But than events conspired. I know things have changed. The trials you had to go through changed you. If there were any feelings between us, they were damaged beyond repair by those events."  
  
Muad'dib listened silently with a strange expression on his face.  
  
"I tried to be a good wife I know emotions are dangerous. I am a Bene Gesseritt. But, in the past 2 years, you never gave me the slightest warmth or kindness. I could have endured it, if we were strangers. But my feelings for you went deeper." answered Irulan.  
  
"When I saw Chani and you together, I wasn't jealous. I was angry, bitter. I tried to deny it, to face it, but the truth was clear. I could have no hope for your love until she was gone."  
  
"So I poisoned her. I didn't enjoy it. I didn't want to hurt her permanently...just so she didn't bear a child. If that happened, I thought. maybe... you would turn to me."  
  
"I am sorry for what I have done. I know it won't change anything but I will accept any punishment you deem necessary."  
  
"That will not be necessary." said Paul.. "I have been aware of your actions from the beginning." Irulan was shocked.  
  
"I had a vision you see. A time of great change is coming. Chani will not survive. Alia will not survive. I however will gain a kind of release..."  
  
"I don't understand" said Irulan.  
  
"I will have a child, perhaps two. They will need someone to love them and care for them. I have hoped that person to be you Irulan."said Paul.  
  
Moving slowly towards her, he gathered her into his arms, enveloping her. The heat of his body intoxicated her. Tears fell from her eyes.  
  
"This is a beautiful and good woman. Unfortunately, destiny has placed this curse upon me. She is so vital to the Golden Path." thought Paul.  
  
He gave her a deep kiss. It entered her mind, her soul. Irulan thought it lingered for what must be hours, but was only minutes in real time. Her body shuddered and she clung to him desperately.  
  
"I forgive you Irulan. This moment will be with you forever. It will aid you in the trials and tribulations to come. The future is ever changing." said Paul.  
  
"The choice is yours."  
  
Tears dripping down her cheek, Irulan held tightly the man she loved and wondered.  
  
The End.  
  
P.S Chani was just getting it out of her system. 


	6. Final Revision

Below is an Irulan Dune story. My first piece of fan fiction.  
  
"What a princess feels"  
  
The temperature was rising on Dune.

Irulan felt her sweat begin to rise beneath the golden silk dress she wore.

As a Bene Gesseritt she could focus her mind past any discomfort her mind could conjure.

Except the pain in her own heart.  
  
It was disturbing to say the least. She had not imagined her need for Muad'dib to be so great.  
  
Paul Atriedes. Her husband.  
  
Well, husband in name actually. She thought ruefully. In the two years they had been together, he had yet to show her the slightest warmth or kindness. However, she counted her blessings. Paul was far from cruel. He at least acknowledged her talents, and had made her part of his inner council. He made no major decisions without her, as so the rumours went.  
  
"I still remember our first meeting during that dinner at the Arrakeen Palace". Irulan realized suddenly. She envisioned him in his white coats of arms. The very picture of royalty. He had been frank, amusing, with a sly sense of humour. The magnetism between them was palpitable. She had wanted to give herself to him. To fold herself into his arms. It was nothing she had ever experienced before.  
  
She knew she was in love.  
  
And now, two years later. It was all ash.  
  
She remained an honoured figurehead trapped in a field where the players had yet to trust her.  
  
Paul, Stilgar, Alia and Chani...  
  
Chani. Muad'dibs true wife. Irulan had tried not to be bitter about her.

The Fremen woman was a good person.

However she could not but help feeling resentful.

The situation was after all beyond her control.  
  
He was mine. She thought. She quickly admonished herself in rebuke.

Such thoughts were not worthy of an imperial princess.

"I love Paul and I will strive to be worthy of his trust. It is a matter of morals."

Irulan sighed and proceeded to her quarters where her books lay.  
  
Her books. Her only solace now.

Irulan was just about to leave when she heard someone approaching.  
The footsteps seemed familiar...A sense of danger came upon her.

Irulan tensed herself. Shifting her into combat readiness.  
  
Chani...  
  
The Royal Concubine appeared.

A true Fremen, her lethal form concealed a razor mind with battle instincts.

At the moment, she seemed troubled and withdrawn.  
  
Something was wrong.  
  
"Can I help you Chani", Irulan asked quietly.  
  
Chani raised her head and gave Irulan a twisted smile.  
  
She barely avoided the strike as it was. Its strength was incredible. It would have crushed her sternum if connected. Chani followed up the punch, with a whistling side kick.  
  
Irulan was a Bene Gesserit. She had trained to be one in any case. Her rudimentary training in Prana-Bindu reflexes kicked in, enabling her body to move faster than a normal human being. Her arms flexed in a cross, Irulan absorbed the side kick just in time. The impact however smashed through her defences, stumbling her to the keep wall. Chani followed up her attack with a dizzying barrage of blows.  
  
This was not good.  
  
The first rule of combat was to maintain mobility. The hallmark of any good fighter was his ability to create empty space. Giving him options to manoeuvre. Irulan was hemmed in. She desperately tried to weave a matrix of defense, but it was getting difficult. The Fremen woman was stronger, younger and more experienced in the art of combat.  
  
Irulan grimaced as the impact of a body shot thundered through her. "I can't hold out much longer." She thought. Irulan considered her options.  
  
Chani was a deadly fighter. Her combat style was battle-tested, precise and built for speed. Irulan knew she could not defeat her straight up. Fortunately, her Bene Gesserit style was unique. Drawn from the Other Memory of female fighters throughout history, her style consisted tricks unknown to Fremen culture.

It was only this factor that had kept her alive so far.  
  
A palmed strike brought her back to the present. It missed her by inches, forcing Irulan to perform an ancient silat manoeuvre.

Uncertain, Chani backed away, reconsidering her strategy.  
  
There was only one way out. Voice." Enough" she shouted. Flexing her syllables to impact Chani's nervous functions. Irulan's voice would paralyze the wild Fremen for a short while. Enough time for her to escape. Her Bene Geserrit training in the field was most extensive.

However, it did not prepare her for what happened next.  
  
The Princess was shocked to see Chani shrug off the effect. Her glazed eyes suddenly clearing, the Fremen woman placed herself into a meditative pose, allowing the effects of the Voice to pass through her.

A Bene Gesserit trick.

"Muad'Dib must have taught her to resist Voice" Irulan realized.

Quickly assessing the situation, Irulan launched a leg sweep dropping Chani. Stunning her.

This gave her the opening she needed. To flee.  
  
Ditching her high heeled shoes, Irulan hurled herself down the hallway, knowing Chani would be on her in seconds.

"At least I've got a head start". Irulan thought.

But for how long?  
  
Bobbing and weaving she launched herself down the halfway.

Perspiration dripping from her face, staining her silk tunic.

She could already hear footsteps of her attacker quickly closing in from behind..

It would not be long now.

This time there would be no escape.

Then salvation came.  
  
Sensing an empty hallway ahead, she hurled herself into its utter darkness. This would even the odds, she thought.  
  
If she could not see anything, so would her opponent.  
  
Irulan suddenly willed herself to be completely silent. Timing was crucial in this case.

She would wait Chani out. In essence, forcing her hand.

Letting her make the first move.

"Let your opponent come to you, Use his own force against him."

Was a common Bene Gesserit mantra.

One that was particularly appropriate at this time.  
  
Irulan closed her eyes, centering herself. She extended her senses, experiencing the surroundings around her. Looking beyond physical sight. She assessed her situation.  
  
"Chani will be here soon. What are my options?" Irulan thought.  
  
A slight sound revealed Chani's presence. Into a world of darkness.  
  
Both women knew that the first to reveal herself would be the loser.

Relinquishing her life in the process.  
  
Irulan had gone through this exercise before. "The Stealth of the Night".

A rudimentary Bene Geserrit exercise to heighten ones senses.

The centre of the room was the key.

It was a vital point of defense and a salient site for attack.  
  
"Chani would most likely work her way to the centre, and launch a search grid from there" Irulan thought. She lowered her centre of gravity and extended her senses.  
  
Time turned to flux. Nothing could be seen.

Silence was indeed golden.

Where could Chani be? Behind her?  
  
"Do not fall for a faint" thought Irulan. "Be cautious".

She carefully began to inch herself to the side of the room, careful not to rustle her dress as she did so. Suddenly, out of a corner of her eye, she saw a slight flash of clothing.

"She is trying to outflank me" realized Irulan.

The Princess gave herself a Cheshire grin.

"Too can play at that game."  
  
Irulan reached inside her dress for a fine needle pen.

Careful not to expose it's reflected surface. She prepared to hurl it into the right side of the hall.

This would draw Chani out. The trap would be set.  
  
Irulan was about to throw, when a blow suddenly struck her from behind.

She had been blindsided.

The blow sent rivulets of pain down her shoulder, disorientating her.

She sprawled forward in a heap. Her mind in confusion.

How did Chani get behind her?

This was how things stood...

A true Bene Gesserit, Irulan quickly took stock of the situation.

It was not good.

She was not discouraged however.

There was nothing a trained Bene Gesserrit couldn't handle.

Irulan ran through her options. Then an idea hit her.

"An object in motion will remain in motion" was an Ancient Earth Law.

However it did not state in exactly which direction it would take.  
  
Using Chani's blow as a propellant, Irulan hurled herself forward..  
  
"If I can propel myself to the door quickly, I can catch Chani off guard" Irulan thought.

The Fremen woman would expect her to flee. Instead she would use the door support to deliver an unexpected spinning side kick.  
  
It was a sound plan.

A pity it didn't work.  
  
Irulan found herself slamming into a solid table in the dark.

She cursed fervently in a quite un-princess like manner.

Tumbling into a heap. Irulan saw the dark silhouette of Chani rising up before her.

She struggled to rise but instead endured a twin strike blow to her kidneys.  
  
The pain was excruciating.

And it hurt.

Her world in agony, Irulan gasped for breath as she tried to steady herself.  
  
She failed.

Fortunately for her however, her destiny was not yet over.

An unknown time later,

Irulan awoke later to see....

Paul "Muad'dib" Atriedes. Her husband. Standing before her.  
Chani was standing behind him. She looked at Irulan silently.  
  
Paul bent down to lift her up asking "Are you all right?"

Irulan stared at him in amazement "Isn't it a little late to be solicitous of my health?"  
  
"It was a test." said Paul Atriedes. "Nothing you couldn't handle."  
  
"She could have killed me!" stated Irulan flatly, pointing at Chani.  
  
"No she wouldn't. She was under strict orders not to do so." replied Paul.  
  
He glanced softly at Chani "Beloved, please give us for a second".  
  
A true Fremen, Chani gave a slight nod and left.  
  
"Why did you do it?" Paul asked when they were alone. "The contraceptive I mean."  
  
"Didn't Chani tell you?" laughed Irulan. "She gave me a little visit last night. Threatened me even. That Crysknife of hers was quite amazing."  
  
"She told me" said Paul. "But the true reason...please" he gestured with his hand to Irulan leading her on.  
  
Irulan experienced a rush of emotions. She had wanted to declare her feelings to Paul for so long. This was her moment. The one she was waiting for. To show her love. Even when she knew it was hopeless.  
  
"I...I was bitter, angry." She lowered her head. "I love you, Paul." Irulan stammered suddenly. A flush of embarrassment came over her. She felt her face redden. What a poor performance by a Bene Gesseritt. Undaunted however, she continued. The truth would finally reveal itself today.

Speaking slowly, Irulan stated "Even from the first moment we met. I felt a connection between us. That something could have become special. Maybe even love."  
  
She raised her head abruptly, "But than events conspired. I know things have changed. The trials you had to go through changed you. If there were any feelings between us, they were damaged beyond repair by those events."  
  
Muad'dib listened silently with a strange expression on his face.  
  
"I tried to be a good wife I know emotions are dangerous. I am a Bene Gesseritt. But, in the past 2 years, you never gave me the slightest warmth or kindness. I could have endured it, if we were strangers. But my feelings for you went deeper." answered Irulan.  
  
"When I saw Chani and you together, I wasn't jealous. I was angry, bitter. I tried to deny it, to face it, but the truth was clear. I could have no hope for your love until she was gone."  
  
"So I poisoned her. I didn't enjoy it. I didn't want to hurt her permanently...just so she didn't bear a child. If that happened, I thought. maybe... you would turn to me."  
  
"I am sorry for what I have done. I know it won't change anything but I will accept any punishment you deem necessary."  
  
"That will not be necessary." said Paul.

"I have been aware of your actions from the beginning." Irulan was shocked.  
  
"I had a vision you see. A time of great change is approaching. Chani will not survive. Alia will not survive. I however will gain a kind of release..."  
  
"I don't understand" said Irulan.  
  
"I will have a child, perhaps two. They will need someone to love them and care for them. I have hoped that person to be you Irulan." Paul continued.  
  
Moving slowly towards her, he gathered her into his arms, enveloping her.

The heat of his body intoxicated her. Tears of gratitude fell from her eyes.  
  
He gave her a deep kiss. It entered her mind, her soul. Irulan thought it must have lingered for what must be hours, but was only minutes in real time.

Her body shuddered and she clung to him desperately.  
  
"I forgive you Irulan. This moment will be with you forever. It will aid you in the trials and tribulations to come. You are a beautiful and good woman. However, destiny has placed this curse upon me. The Golden Path is All. It had to be faced." said Paul.

"The choice is yours."  
  
Tears dripping down her cheek, Irulan held tightly the man she loved and wondered.  
  
The End.

11


End file.
